Home Is Where The Heart(h) Is Rewritten
by CompletelyAnonymousxd
Summary: Something is coming. A new race of enemies once again threaten the safety of the world of gods and mortals. It's up to our heroes to save the world once again, but when deceit conspires with emotions, it seems that Olympus may fall, and our heroes cannot handle the oncoming terrors, and the terrors lurking inside their hearts. But love finds a way. Love always finds a way...
1. Chapter 1: Aftermath

**So this is the rewritten version of my current Home Is Where The Heart(h) Is. Without spoiling anything, I do you enjoy this monster of a chapter. I hope I can sustain this length throughout, and hopefully the planning I've put into this is sufficient.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"No?" Zeus growled. "We do not give this opportunity to anyone. You would refuse our generous offer?"

Anyone. That referred to the hundreds of demigods, healthy or injured, that stood in the throne room along with Percy. That referred to the many bodies of the dead that littered the streets of New York. It talked about Ethan Nakamura, who made his last choice and died a hero, not a traitor of Olympus, or Silena Beauregard, who charged into battle to defend her friends, redeeming her from her past actions. Most of all, the common title applied to Luke Castellan, the hero of the Great Prophecy, who died to bring Kronos down, making the ultimate sacrifice.

Were these people anyone? It seemed like such an insult. While Percy was alive from the blessing of the Styx, they were as mortal and vulnerable as any other demigod, and yet the courage displayed rivalled his.

The term was shallow. Each and everyone of the people who fought for Olympus was as heroic as he. And yet he was the only one given the choice to ascend.

He knew what he wanted. Luke's last words sealed his decision.

"Yes."

There was a quick exchange of glances between the Olympians. Poseidon spoke up, "Perseus, you understand what you're giving up?"

"Yes, and I have other requests I would like to put forth, but I need the council to swear on the Styx first."

"What?" Ares bellowed. "You don't trust us?"

"Someone once told me." Percy looked at Hades meaningfully, "That you should always get a binding oath."

Hades grinned.

Zeus' brow twitched. "Very well. You may speak them."

"I wish that all gods claim their children by the time they become of age."

Murmuring broke out within the crowd behind him. The gods fidgeted in their seats. He pressed further.

"Kronos couldn't have rose to power if not for the demigods that joined his side. The ones that felt alone and unloved by their godly parent, because they never knew about that side of them. Next, the minor gods should be pardoned —"

"That is not your decision —" Zeus cut in, his tone loudening.

"As well as given a cabin at camp for their children. Hades, too." Percy interrupted coolly.

Hades raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Next, no more oath of the Big Three. That wasn't working out anyway."

Static paralyzed the air. Three requests, he had brought forth. He was amazed he hadn't been rejected or blasted to ashes. He could feel the stares of the people behind him prickling his skin.

"Anything else?" Zeus' tone was dangerous.

"That's all."

The gods were silent before Athena said, "The boy is right."

All eyes turned to her. "Really, Athena? You're defending him?" Apollo said with a hint of incredulity.

"I am the wisdom goddess. We must change. We allowed Kronos to almost win because of our negligence. This cannot happen again."

There was a general murmur of assent. "All in favour?" Hermes called.

Everyone but Zeus raised their hands. He grumbled, "Very well. Let what you said be done. The Council swears on the Styx."

Thunder rumbled, as it always had, whenever an oath was made. But this...this was louder.

The funerals were brief. Pyres were burnt simultaneously, eulogies were read with a rushed pace, the reincarnations of the nature spirits were laid to rest in the grove. Percy sat through them mechanically. Names of the dead flowed like the Cocytus. Silena, Michael, others.

Luke wasn't named. The story that circulating around the camp was that Luke was killed by Kronos. Only Annabeth, Grover and the Olympians knew what had truly happened.

Ethan wasn't named either. The thought of that soured Percy.

The demigods took turns walking up to the pyres to make their last wishes to the dead. When it was his turn, he thought, _I'm sorry._ He stood there for a while, unable to formulate the thoughts he wanted to tell them, if they were listening. There were too many of them, his mind heavy with guilt and grief.

He walked away. For the rest of the ceremony, he had a sudden empathy with Atlas. It was only when he saw there were only a handful of people staying around the pyres that he realised it was over.

He heard footsteps behind him but didn't turn around.

"You alright?" Annabeth's voice stirred him from his reverie. He didn't respond. She took a seat beside him, sighing. "I'm sorry, that's a stupid question."

"Yeah, it is." Percy's voice sounded hollow, even to himself.

She squeezed his hand tightly. "Don't blame yourself for them. It's what we do, it's our life."

He turned to face her, and her eyes met his with evident concern. She looked well-rested. Her injuries were healed. Apollo's magic and ambrosia seemed to help greatly.

"Thanks." He tried for a smile, but it faded like the heat from cinders when dropped in water.

"Anytime."

Percy wanted to say something, say anything.

He abruptly stood up. "I need to go. Sleep. I – I'll see you in the morning, Annabeth."

Without looking back, he left briskly towards his cabin. Towards the sea. He dove inside without the slightest hesitation when he got there, and instantly, the warmth of his dad's domain enveloped him like a pillow. His breathing became slower, calmer, like the waves that washed against the beach. He closed his eyes and breathed.

He had been hyperventilating, it seemed. He wasn't sure why. His mind was too clouded with the events that had taken place. No one should have to experience all of that in a day. He tried to find a reason for his unwellness. Nothing. I – I think.

 _Gods damn it,_ he thought angrily. Why was he angry? Who was he angry at? More thoughts. More chaos in his head. More breaths. _Make...make it stop._

The currents were carrying him. They were restless because of him. Because of him? He had heard that term being thrown around a lot like a grenade from the Hephaestus Cabin. Deaths. Beckendorf. His fault. Because of him.

 _Oh gods._ The water was closing in on him. It swirled like a torrent, churning him like he was back at Charybdis' lair. Tossing him around. The water surged onto him. It felt ice cold. So cold. He gasped. He was drowning. Him, drowning. _Me._

"Percy!" He heard someone shriek, before something entered the water. A dark figure plunged beside him, arms outstretched, trying to grab him.

 _No!_ He tried to draw Riptide, but the figure had wrapped his arms together. He struggled, bubbles rising from the dark depths, blinding him. He couldn't. See.

They broke over the surface of the water, gasping. He shook his head fiercely. "Let me go!" He shouted, drinking in more of the water.

"Percy! It's me! Annabeth! Annabeth Chase!" The figure yelled. He stopped fighting, before turning to face her. It was her. Her blonde hair was soaked. Wait, no, the two of them were. He was...wet. She stared at him, frightened. She was frightened of him.

"You're okay. You're okay…" She murmured, pulling him into a hug. "It's alright. It's alright."

Percy closed his eyes. Something stained his cheeks. It was probably the water.

"Come, let's get to shore." She paddled back, holding Percy. His limbs felt weak, drained. He looked around. They were about 10 metres from land. _How…?_

When they got there, she let him lie on the beach. "Wait here. I'll get some towels."

"I can...I can go back to the cabin." Percy whispered hoarsely. He coughed up some water.

She nodded, then left. He slowly got up and entered his cabin, shivering. The wind wasn't helping. He sat on the floor, curled up and hugging his knees, waiting. Minutes later, Annabeth gently opened the door after knocking.

"Here," she said softly, passing him a dry towel. He took it and draped it around him. "Thanks," he said while his teeth chattered.

"You should change into something dry," Annabeth observed. Scanning the room for his closet, she opened it and grabbed a fresh set of clothes. "I'll let you change," she said as she stepped out of the cabin for a bit.

The moment she shut the door behind her, she collapsed onto the bench and buried her face in her hands, sobbing quietly, making sure Percy didn't hear it. She looked up to check if anyone was around. No one. A rare sight, it was usually somewhat crowded until curfew forced everyone back into their cabins before the harpies arrived, but a war had taken a toll both physically and emotionally on everyone. Including herself. And Percy.

She steeled her nerves and wiped away her tears as she heard Percy rap on the door. She entered. He was wearing the dry clothes, but his eyes. Even under the little light of the lamp that hung on the wall next to them, she could see they were fractured with grief and fear. Her heart broke further at seeing this, but she kept wearing the gentle expression.

"Here, lie down," Annabeth said, gesturing to his bed. He did, no snappy comeback, no friendly insult comparing her to his mom.

She brought out the leaf she had been holding, a leaf from a sub-species of the poppy tree, plucked from Chiron's herb garden. Incidentally the original plant was taken straight from the banks of the Lethe. With no further words, she brought it to Percy's nose.

"Annabeth, what…" His voice trailed off as his mind lapsed into a deep, dreamless sleep. He would be out for the next day. Such was the power of Hypnos.

"I'm sorry Percy, you need it." Annabeth's eyes brimmed with tears as she exited the cabin, shutting the door behind her gently. She tossed the leaf in the hearth and washed her hands in the lake before heading back to her own cabin. Opening the door, she heard the incessant snoring of her half-siblings, all exhausted. She climbed into her bed and stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep after what had happened.

She wished she still had the leaf.

* * *

Annabeth woke up groggily, staring at the clock. Realising the time, she jumped up.

 _Gods, I'm late!_ She washed up as fast as she could and headed outside to see...no one. Well, not no one. Some people were up and about, but definitely not the whole camp. She looked at the mess hall. It wasn't packed in the slightest, neither was the food being served.

She blinked. But it was 10. The day started at 8. She made her way to the Big House to find Chiron, but saw the centaur on the way.

"Chiron!" She ran to him. Her mentor gave her a smile. "Annabeth, what brings you here so early?"

"Early? It's 10!"

"I made an announcement yesterday that we would start at 11 today, because we all needed a good rest."

"Oh. Right." She slapped her forehead. "I guess I didn't catch it. I must have been distracted."

"Is it about Percy?"

"How did you…"

He sighed. "I heard the commotion. You handled it well, Annabeth. And I know you took one of the poppy leaves from my garden." He held his hand up to stem her apology, "It's alright. You made the right decision. Perseus needs rest, more so than anyone, especially since he bears the curse of Achilles."

"I had never seen him look this scared and weak before. It still frightens me. What do we do about him?"

Chiron pondered over it for a while. "Call a meeting for the councillors. Before breakfast. There is much to discuss," He said. "Do not worry about Perseus, he is strong."

She nodded dumbly and walked away. She took a quick shower since she had time and spent the rest of it reading up on a bunch of scrolls outside her cabin. Her mother had given them to her last night. They were blueprints of Olympus. Seeing the familiar language and numbers helped slightly with dousing her worries, but the underlying fear that she could not squash remained.

As she saw more and more people emerge, sleepy-eyed, from their cabins, she saw one of the Stoll twins. She walked to him, and he stared at her, half-awake, blinking.

"Whuzzup, Annabeth?" He slurred. _Travis, I think._

"Councillor meeting. Big House. Tell the rest." She said shortly. He groaned, a rather loud one, but nodded.

 _That's settled,_ she thought. She gave a last long look at the Poseidon cabin before she started climbing the hill to the meeting.

Fifteen minutes later, all of the cabin councillors were gathered, including Nico de Angelo to represent the Hades cabin, their faces were all pulling the same grouchy frown.

"This had better be good," Clarisse snarled, "I'm starving." She was clutching a hunting knife in her fist. The two people sitting next to her, Drew Tanaka and Will Solace, scooted away from her. Annabeth could not blame them.

"I second that," Travis declared.

"If we are all here…" Chiron scanned the room. Attendance was full. "Then we can start. First things first: There'll be a change of the number of cabins, as you all know. They will be continuing the current 'U' formation. We will thus be suspending camp activities to support the construction of them."

A mutter of mixed opinions filled the room. Personally, Annabeth was thrilled at the prospect of supervising and building some structures, but judging from the groans of some others, they did not share the sentiments.

"Speaking of that, where's Percy? Shouldn't he be here, since he, y'know, asked for it?" Connor swerved his head around to find the missing demigod. Annabeth bristled but kept her composure proper.

"That is next on our agenda. If you would let me finish this...and keep your whispers for later." He added as the room broke out in another hive of buzzing of concern. Annabeth stayed silent through this, and caught some of them giving her a look.

"As I was saying, we will also be holding a camp-wide meeting at precisely 1 o'clock in the afternoon today, gathering in the amphitheatre so that the unclaimed campers can finally be claimed. Both Mr Stolls, instruct them accordingly." The two of them nodded in acknowledgement.

"Mr D has kindly informed me that he has managed to persuade the Olympian Council and get the minor gods to spare this time and claim their children. From what I have heard, there was not much complaint to clear their debts to Mr Jackson as fast as possible. Mr Underwood already has his satyrs on high alert. With luck, this will all go smoothly."

"Now, on to our second order of business. Mr Jackson. Before any of you ask, he is safe and is currently sleeping at his cabin. Annabeth, if you could retell last night's events…?"

Annabeth stood up and slowly retold them what had happened. As they listened, their expressions became more concerned. Even Clarisse's. But she conceded that made sense, given that her father was the god of war, she would be aware of its...aftereffects.

"I know we are all traumatised by the War as well, and we'll probably be affected by it till gods-knows-when, but Percy seemed especially affected by it. I don't know why."

"Did something happen at the throne room?" Katie spoke out. "Maybe Luke – I mean, Kronos, cursed him or something."

"It's a possibility." Jake chimed in.

"I don't know. I was there, and besides battling, nothing out of the ordinary happened." T _hen again, I was knocked across the room and slammed into a slab of marble so I doubt my vision was crystal clear,_ she thought, but kept quiet. Katie's words triggered something, a faint memory. _Later_ , she chided herself.

"Let's forget that. What about recovery? How'd you knock him out for so long?" Clarisse suddenly asked.

"Poppy leaf. Chiron's garden." Annabeth replied, earning a grunt of approval from the girl.

"Bring him to the infirmary later when he's up then, I'll take a look at him," Will said.

Annabeth chewed her lip. "Um...actually Will, I was thinking we could go straight to your dad. I, uh…"

Will seemed to understand. Everyone wore the same expression. "It's fine, I get it." He replied. He didn't look offended, which comforted Annabeth immensely. Will wasn't one to mask his emotions.

"I'll take Percy to see him then, when he's up." Annabeth looked around the table for any objection. No one did. Chiron nodded approvingly.

"So...if that's everything, can we please go eat? The wailing my stomach's making would make the Cocytus jealous," Travis said.

* * *

 **23/6/18:**

 **I hope you enjoyed this. I'm deviating from the original plot to tie up some loose ends like having to end the feelings between Percy and Annabeth more naturally, as well as addressing the aftermath of the War. I also thought it would be better to show the trauma experienced and touch a bit on that.**

 **Overall, this will be a bit more slow burn and you should expect some Percabeth at the start, but rest assured this is still Perstia.**

 **4/8/18:**

 **Updated and split up. See end of ch5 for details**

 **Feedback is appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2: What They Always Wanted

Percy found himself back in the throne room, fighting Kronos, the two of them locked in a deadly dance of sword and scythe. Their blades clanged with a screech of revolt as Percy swept Riptide up in an arc. _He wasn't even trying,_ Percy thought, his teeth gritting, as he leapt backwards just in time to dodge a swing from Kronos. He kept his sword level as Kronos strode up to him, not even tired.

"What chance do you stand against the strongest Titan?" Kronos sneered. "You're nothing. You'll die like he did." He pointed with his weapon at the crack where Ethan Nakamura had made his final decision and died for it.

Percy lunged forward for another bout, the fury at Kronos' words turning into renewed energy that surged through his muscles. Kronos grinned and parried his strikes before he slammed the butt of his scythe into Percy's gut.

His vision went blurry, stomach exploding with pain as he the feeling of weightlessness spread through him. He was flying away from Kronos...Another burst of pain at his head. Head – hit something hard. Someone screaming his name? He saw someone charging the figure coursing with golden liquid within. And something...something pink above? Spots dancing in his eyes…

"Annabeth!" He was screaming, before his dream faded into darkness and he bolted awake. He blinked twice, then placed a hand on his thumping chest.

 _In. Out. In. Out._

He looked outside and found it to be...evening? How long was he asleep for?

Leaving the cabin, he was surprised to see everyone hard at work, not training, but building the new cabins. Some were carrying bricks, others lugging buckets of cement. He spotted Nico ordering a small army of skeleton workers around and walked up to him, ignoring some of the looks the other campers were giving him.

"Percy," Nico greeted. "Annabeth's over at the Hecate cabin I think." His face was tight with concentration on holding control over his temporary servants.

"Uh, I don't need to see her now. What's going on here?"

"Building all the new cabins. We started after the unclaimed campers got, well, claimed. You missed a lot while you were knocked out."

"Right. Why was I asleep for that long again? What even happened last night?"

Nico looked at him and a few metres away, a skeleton carrying a stack of obsidian bricks dissolved. "Guess you must have been that tired, with the curse of Achilles and all," He finally said.

"And you guys just let me sleep for almost an entire day?"

"Hey, hero of Olympus and stuff. You probably deserve it."

Percy frowned. Nico wasn't telling him something, but he knew the son of Hades wouldn't share if he didn't want to.

"Percy!" He turned and saw Annabeth jogging up to him. "How are you?"

"Fine, I guess, except I don't know what happened yesterday. Everything's kind of...blurry."

"Well, we didn't exactly want to wake you up."

"Yeah, yeah I know. Curse of Achilles and everything," Percy grumbled. He didn't know what he was complaining about. If he had an accepted excuse to sleep in, it wasn't really a curse, yet he could tell Annabeth was smiling a bit too warmly.

"There's some dinner left if you want some, maybe some food will clear your head," Annabeth suggested. Percy nodded and headed to the mess hall, leaving the two demigods behind.

"He asked you too, huh?" Annabeth asked Nico when Percy was out of earshot.

"Yeah. I couldn't tell him. He doesn't have to know."

"Thanks, Nico," Annabeth said gratefully.

"Are you sure it wasn't something in those drugs you gave him?"

"It's a leaf," Annabeth scoffed, "and yes, I am aware it can be made into one, but it's not. And also no, those leaves only make the user sleep for a long while. Dreamless too, as an added bonus."

"Hm. I could use some of those," Nico remarked.

"Don't we all, but Chiron can't give it out to anyone. He was nice enough to forgive me."

"You did what you had to do. There's no way he would have blamed you for that. Also, if he doesn't remember what happened, how are you going to explain why he has to visit Apollo?"

"I'm not sure. Hopefully yesterday was a one time thing and he won't have to."

"I have a bad feeling about it," Nico said, just as another skeleton dissolved and he cursed.

"I should let you get back to your work." Annabeth observed.

"Thanks." Nico sounded relieved. Annabeth nodded, returning to the worksite of the Hecate cabin to finish up her blueprint annotations, trying to clear up her mind about the whole Apollo thing. Percy not knowing about what happened was a pleasant surprise, and Annabeth sorely hoped they could put that behind them, but if there's anything she learned from her demigod life, it's that things would never work out the way she wanted it to.

* * *

The camp was slowly crowding up as new demigods were being brought in by the handful, and the cabins that they had finished that very night, to the relief of the demigod workers (slave labour, as Connor put it), were being filled up gradually. Meanwhile, the existing cabins were piling up to the point where plans were being made to renovate the Olympian cabins to fit in the newcomers.

Percy had definitely brightened up at the sight. There was a sparkle in his eyes when he overlooked the chaotic excitement from Half-blood Hill. Annabeth saw it. The two of them were taking a break - Annabeth from work and Percy from some negotiations with the naiads.

"Looks much more livelier," Annabeth murmured.

"Yeah," Percy replied.

"Wonder how many new siblings I'll get."

"Yeah."

"Sushi restaurants should expand their menu."

"Ye — what? Hey!" Percy's face flushed and she laughed.

"So what'd you call me up here for, Seaweed Brain?"

"Right, um, I wanted to ask...when are you free?"

"What for?" Annabeth questioned in a tone as innocent as a child.

"Go. Uh out. Wimme." Percy mumbled.

Annabeth looked at Percy who was turning redder by the second and decided to spare him the teasing. "Sure. When and where?"

"Whenever you're free. Um, is Central Park good?"

"Yeah. I'll meet you at the Empire State tomorrow. 2?"

"That works," Percy answered, his face an epitome of relief.

"And we're grabbing lunch?"

"Uh I suppose."

"Great." Annabeth spotted Grover by the strawberry fields. "I need to talk to Grover. See you tomorrow." She left Percy sitting there trying to process what had happened. It was as if she was the one asking him out.

"Grover!" She carefully walked through the fields to meet the satyr. He was playing on his reed pipes and waved her over. "What's up?" He put his pipes down.

"Can I ask you something rather serious?

"Sure."

"We've been on some pretty crazy quests, even by demigod standards and almost gotten killed so many times it's a miracle we're alive, you know? So, how do you cope with all that? The trauma and the bad memories?"

Grover blinked. "I thought you were going to ask about the conservation of the Amazon or something. But to answer that...I'm not sure. Personally I've only been _hit that hard_ a couple of times, after the Labyrinth and being underground for so long...it took awhile for me to get over that. I talked with Juniper a lot. She was a great help." His expression brightened immensely at the mention of his girlfriend, and Annabeth couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

"So, someone to talk to?" She inquired further.

"Maybe, but it's not just the 'telling her how I felt', but the comfort of having her around. Who knows, maybe I would've gone insane after wandering around there for so long." Grover stared down at his reed pipes and shuddered slightly.

"Thanks, Grover. A lot." Annabeth said.

"This is about Percy, right?" He looked up at her quizzically.

"Yeah," She muttered. "I'm really worried for him."

"Well, at least your date with him will cheer you both up."

She gaped. "How did you...oh, right, nature spirits." She made a mental note to never speak in private near a plant.

Grover grinned, but then it faded. "I think it's good, but the fact that he doesn't even know what happened…" He paused. "You can't keep it a secret forever, Annabeth."

"Why not? I can't just tell him that he almost drowned."

"There's no way everyone can keep it shushed. Onlooking campers, someone's slipping tongue, or the naiads…I don't know, maybe I'm just paranoid." He wrung his hands.

"I'll find the time to tell him, maybe, but he's in a good mood now, I don't want to ruin that."

He shrugged. "Fair enough."

"I'll leave you to your plants. Thanks for the advice." She gave a smile and dashed off.

"Don't step on the vines!" Grover yelped.

* * *

The rest of the day was uneventful. Percy spent his night staring at the ceiling and imagining how everything could go wrong the next day, while Annabeth spent her last few waking hours finishing up her first draft of the Olympian courtyard, which she would show her mother tomorrow morning when they met at her palace. She would then be able to meet up with Percy.

And that is exactly what happened. Percy spent his morning making cement for the cabins while Annabeth was in deep discussion with Athena.

When Annabeth was making markings with a ruler, she asked, "Mother? Can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"Why don't I feel traumatised about the quests I've been on?"

Athena looked up from her diagram, slightly frowning. "You mean, what you mortals call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?"

Annabeth nodded.

"Well, the textbook answer would say it's because you're a child of mine. We're somehow mentally more...resilient, one could say. But personally, I think it's your father's genes."

"But…"

"Yes, yes I know. It doesn't mean just because you weren't born the conventional way, it means your father never passed anything on to you. If that were so, you and your half-siblings would all look alike, no?"

"I — I guess."

Athena fixated her intense grey eyes on her. "Your father was a strong man. He's been through much. Maybe you don't see it, from his actions, but I see the same strength in you."

She gave her a warm smile that stunned her daughter before returning to her work. They didn't speak again until Annabeth had to leave at 2 o'clock. She made the last confirmations with her mother and left, tucking her laptop in her bag.

Percy was waiting outside when she went down the elevator. He waved and she returned it.

"You look...good," Percy tried for a compliment. She was wearing a grey blouse and jeans, which Percy figured was appropriate for a park.

"Thanks. You too," Annabeth replied, and Percy suddenly felt self-conscious about his choice of clothing, which was a marine t-shirt and denim.

"So...are you ready?"

"Yep."

The two set off, grabbing burgers at Mac's before heading to Central Park. Throughout it all, Percy couldn't help but notice how casual Annabeth was acting about it all. Meanwhile, he was barely able to form a complete sentence without pausing or stuttering. _How's she taking this so well?_ He got his answer for that later when they reached the park and found a nice spot on a bench overlooking a lake.

"This place good?" Percy asked her. She eyed it for a moment too long before responding, "It's great." Percy didn't like the look she gave it, as though she wasn't trusting the fish inside or something.

While taking out their burgers, Annabeth suddenly said, "You don't have to act so nervous, you know?"

"Huh?"

She chuckled. "We've known each other for 5 years. Just because it's our first time going on an actual date doesn't mean you have to get all awkward."

"Oh." Heat rose to Percy's cheeks. She called it a date. Even he hadn't, but at this point it obviously was. "Thanks."

They ate their lunch in silence, but Percy noticed Annabeth kept staring at the lake. "What's bothering you?" He asked.

"Oh, um, it's nothing. Just...redesigning Olympus is harder than I thought." She sighed.

"At what point did you realise renovating the home of the Olympians, a place which makes the Parthenon look like a classroom, would be difficult?" He joked, and she smacked his shoulder lightly.

"I did take that into account, but it's nothing like I imagined. Did you know the old design of all the previous Mount Olympus' are all infused into the current one? It's not just adding some more marble and statues, it's practically terraforming the whole place."

"You can do it. I mean, how much time do you have?" Percy sipped on his coke.

"3 days."

Percy choked on his drink. "Say what now?"

She couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. "Zeus wants the designs to be finalised by Saturday. It'll take the builders another week to finish the renovations, because apparently there's going to be a huge celebration of the war being over and all. The news hasn't been released to the public yet, so you have to keep it shushed. My mom would kill me if she found out."

"No problem." Percy whistled. "Damn, 3 days? That's a tight schedule."

"Tell me about it," she muttered.

"Hey, if anyone could accomplish that, it's you. You're the smartest person I know."

She blushed. "Thanks."

They fell into a silence for a while before he spoke up, "So, does this mean we're dating?"

"Shouldn't you be asking me formally?"

"I don't know! I'm as new to this as you are."

"Come on," she teased in a sing-song voice. "Ask me."

"Gods, you're really going to make me do this. Okay." He took in a deep breath. "Annabeth Chase, will you –"

Percy's voice was cut short, his vision spinning out of control when something wet and slimy grasped his waist and pulled him underwater. Darkness clouded his vision as he struggled, but something pink shone in the creature's eyes. _Haven't I seen that before?_

"Percy!" Annabeth screamed, pulling out her dagger immediately. She knew something was off about that lake, but reprimanding herself would have to wait. _What in Tartarus is that thing?_ It was a blur of blue, grey and tendrils.

She heard something shriek, an unearthly cry. Acid green liquid drifted up to the surface, followed by Percy, gasping, who was wielding Riptide.

Annabeth waded into the water, took Percy's outstretched hand and pulled.

A tentacle lunged from the depths, but Annabeth slashed at it with her knife. Another scream.

"We...we need to kill it here. Before it hurts any of the mortals." Percy gasped, pointing weakly at the onlookers. They probably saw an octopus or something, but they were still looking terrified.

Annabeth nodded, but she got a quick look at Percy, and the contorting in his expression and the fear in his eyes made her her worst fears emerge once again. _Not now._

"Stay here, you're injured." She told him.

He gazed back at her with dimming eyes. "What...what d'yo mean?" His breaths were getting shorter. _Oh gods._

Annabeth turned to face the lake, which had remained disturbingly silent the whole time. Suddenly, it exploded as the monster arose from the surface. It looked like a fish with tentacles of an octopus. It bore razor sharp teeth which Annabeth saw as it snarled. Its scales and skin were a sickly grey and blue.

"A Cetus," she breathed. A miniature one, definitely, unlike the one which Perseus turned to stone to save Andromeda. She suddenly found the situation she was in ironic.

It lashed out with two of its tendrils and Annabeth dodged one whilst cutting the other. But she knew it wouldn't matter. It had regenerating limbs, same as a normal octopus. She had to pierce its head.

She looked at Riptide which Percy was barely holding onto. She grabbed it and held it steady. He made no attempts to ask her what she was doing.

Annabeth aimed and threw it. Its aim was true, spearing through the creature in its head. It gave a last wail and dissolved into dust.

"Percy! Are you...oh gods. Not this again." Annabeth held his hand, which was getting colder by the second. His eyes were widening and closing intermittently, his breathing quickening. _It's shock._

"Stay with me, Percy. Stay with me…" Tears sprang from the sides of her eyes. The world around her seemed to dissipate as she saw her closest friend lose his mind.

* * *

There was a knock on the door. Apollo stopped playing his lyre and walked to the door, slightly frowning. Was it another Muse? And he was sure he didn't have a concert now.

He opened it and his eyes widened at the sight.

"Lord Apollo, sorry to disturb you." Annabeth Chase said breathlessly, while a very ill-looking Percy Jackson was leaning on her, muttering incoherently. His skin was as pale as marble. "We need your help."

For once, the god didn't make a haiku or crack a joke. He nodded gravely. "Bring him inside."

* * *

 **4/8/18**

 **Updated and split. Read End of Ch5 for details.**


	3. Chapter 3: Hearts

Tartarus had a new guest.

"O favoured son of Gaia, The King Titan of Time, Kronos himself, to what do we owe this pleasure?" Enceladus said, disdain pouring from his words.

Upon that spire of jagged rock sunk deep in the crimson skin of the Pit, a flat platform served to host the gathering of Giants. Many met, their healing forms, as weak as they currently were, still towered over the Titan. Their faces were reformed, their bodies were not, still shaping and ghostly pale. Even still, the stones and ash at their feet gravitated towards them, as though they recognised the sons of the place they were lying on.

The bare essence of Kronos made inaudible sounds that sounded like blunt blades scraping against each other. It only served to widen the grins of all that were present. They could still understand him, as soft as his voice now was, as well as the curses he was throwing at them.

"Now, now, if it comforts you, we never expected you to succeed." Enceladus spoke the thoughts of his brethren. It seemed that he was the only one that could speak in their regenerating state, but then again, he was the bane of Athena.

"But we must thank you, half-brother," he spoke the last word with venom, "for your noble sacrifice has angered the Earth Mother to assist us in our efforts. She knew, of course, that your plan was never going to work."

Kronos responded with a weak protest, though it was still fuelled with hatred and rage.

"Yes, yes, favourite son and all that. But here, you are nobody. You cling on to that title like you earned it, when you killed your own father when he was at his most vulnerable. In here, the realm of our father, no one will hear your cry to Mother. No one will hear you fade for eternity, if we do choose to absorb these pathetic specks of your being…" Enceladus reached forward with a spectral, half-grown limb, transparent till one could see the pale bones beneath. Kronos shrunk back, the dust whirling around in a fearful frenzy.

Enceladus drew back his hand with a sigh. "But I'm afraid Mother thinks you have a purpose to play. I sincerely doubt that. Now, begone."

Instantly, Kronos disappeared. The Giant turned his attention to his brethren.

 _Where do we stand with our proceedings?_

 _Working as planned. Our operative is...surprisingly elusive._

 _I still do not trust her. She is not one of us._

 _Mother trusts her, that is sufficient._

 _If nothing more happens to demand a deviation, we should all be free soon._

 _This wretched half-form, I cannot wait till I walk the earth once more._

 _Patience, brother. We will all do so in due time._

* * *

Apollo helped Annabeth lift Percy onto the examination table, made of sleek white marble. Annabeth was alarmed at how cold his skin was. He was babbling something now, she couldn't tell what it was about. It did nothing to help her anxiety.

The god of medicine he laid a hand on his forehead, then flinched and retracted it immediately. "Something serious," he murmured, as he went to a nearby apothecary table stocked with various herbs and concoctions and began grinding a few leaves and mixing it with a viscous, brown liquid.

"Tell me what happened," Apollo said. Annabeth took a deep breath and recounted everything since that night. She decided not to mention the fact that they were on a date. A deployment from camp to deal with a monster terrorising Central Park sounded legitimate.

"Really?" Apollo said dryly. "I doubt Chiron would knowingly send a demigod suffering from severe trauma to dispatch a sea monster, son of Poseidon or not."

Annabeth felt her face heat up. "We — we thought he was feeling better."

Apollo sighed. "I thought you, a child of Athena, would know better than to lie to the god of truth." He turned to face her, and for a second she saw the same face which flayed Marsyas alive.

"Lord Apollo —"

"Please, Ms Chase, I've been on more dates in a day than most demigods do in their lifetime. Ok, that's an exaggeration. But just call it what it was — a date."

"My — my apologies, milord," She stuttered. Apollo waved his hand dismissively. "Continue your story."

She did, as Apollo busied himself with analysing Percy's condition. When she was finished, Apollo was quiet for a pause, then he snorted.

"You have an idea of what the cause might be, don't you? Anything would be helpful here. Please share."

"Something...happened in the throne room when we were fighting Lu - Kronos. I might have been seeing things but…" she recalled that faint pink glow that shone distinctly through the spots that surrounded it.

"It was something pink. Glowing above on the dome."

"Pink." Apollo's brow furrowed. "Frankly I'd chalk that up to your eyes playing some tricks while you were dazed and with Kronos' light blinding you, but I'll keep that in mind."

She nodded meekly.

"Anyway, as for Percy here, I've calmed his body down. It's overreacting, volatile to whatever triggers it. You're right about it being an after effect of the war, but his feelings have been tampered with."

"You mean — someone did this to him?" Annabeth almost choked on the words.

Apollo nodded. "It's not medicinal, it's emotional. The best I can do is stopping the relapses when they come and go, but if you want a cure, he needs to recover from his fears."

"I can do it," Annabeth insisted, but her confidence dissolved when Apollo shook his head. "Whatever this is, it touches his most inner self. It's like someone has poisoned him with raw emotion that he cannot deal with, and you cannot extract it either."

"But…" her voice faltered. She was probably the closest friend — no, more than that. Other than his parents, who else was as qualified to help him through this?

"He needs Hestia. She can help him." Apollo looked at her in appraisal, as though he were expecting more protest. She pursed her lips, but relented with a nod.

"I'll take him to see her." She said.

"No need for that, I've asked Hestia to come over." Just as those words left his mouth, there was a knock on the door. "I'll get that." Then he left the room, leaving Percy alone with her. She watched his chest rise and fall slowly. Normally.

A brief spark of anger made her clench her fists. The thought that someone had done this to him... _but who?_

Footsteps behind her dragged her from her thoughts. Turning around, she saw what she assumed was Hestia. She was in her teenager form, but she still recognised her eyes that encapsulated twin flames burning gently. Her brown shawl covered her hair and she greeted Annabeth serenely, "Hello, Annabeth Chase."

"Lady Hestia," She returned. Just being in her presence made her feel more calm. Her fists dissipated without her even realising. She took a steady breath.

"I've heard from Lord Apollo about Perseus' condition," Hestia said. "I'd be glad to help heal him. How long is he out for?" She glanced at Apollo.

"Another hour or so." Was the reply. She nodded and gazed at Perseus' face for a brief moment before she raised her right hand over it and closed her eyes. Annabeth saw Percy's brow suddenly furrow in distress. His expression tightened.

"What are you doing to him?" She demanded, then realised her mistake. "Um, sorry, Lady Hestia."

Hestia withdrew her hand. "It's alright. I can see you care for him. As for what I was doing, I had to see what wounds I must close. There are quite a lot, unfortunately." Her face was grim. "This might take longer than I anticipated."

"How long?"

"A week. Maybe two, if all goes well. I'll need him to come everyday for about an hour. I cannot speed up this process. His mind and spirit needs time to recuperate on its own."

"I...I understand," Annabeth replied glumly. She most certainly did not. Couldn't the Olympians just wave their hands and make it all better? Another part of her mind countered that if they were this powerful, the Titan War might not have even happened. Their powers had limits, but it all was so barely defined and inexplicable.

"I will stay with him for today. You may come back tomorrow with him and assist your mother with the redesigning. I believe your schedule will not be impacted."

Annabeth nodded. "Thank you Lady Hestia. Lord Apollo."

"Haven't thanked Percy yet for saving Olympus. It's the least I can do," Apollo responded, flashing a grin. Hestia gave a curt smile. Annabeth bowed and left.

As she walked through the streets, she noted that this district was particularly undamaged by Kronos' attack, although she still saw minor ruptures and cracks in the marble pavement. Some lamps flickered. The minor gods, nature spirits and demigods looked tense. They shied away from the damage as though it were cursed. Their movements were erratic and little to no one was smiling.

She didn't stare at any of them. It would be rude, obviously, but looking at their faces stretched with worry made her more determined to finish the job of redesigning this place as fast as possible. Repairing their home would definitely boost their spirits. She found herself walking faster.

As she neared the sky bridge, she winced at the damage and the memories it brought back. She saw the crack in the floor that the statue of Her Most Annoying Majesty, Hera, made when it fell and crippled Thalia. When she arrived just half an hour ago half-supporting Percy's shivering body, she was entirely focused on getting to Apollo's palace. Now, she saw and remembered all the details that day.

Thank gods for the mortals who called a taxi at Annabeth's insistence. They probably assumed she didn't want more trouble with an ambulance. It was a simple matter to convince the driver to drop them off at the Empire State Building, and the security guard recognised the Hero of Olympus immediately and let them through with no further hassle.

Then again, it might have been too simple to do all of that... _Did I use the Mist or something?_

It was unlikely. She hadn't had any training. As far as she knew, only Thalia knew how to manipulate the Mist.

She shook that thought away. Perhaps it was Tyche helping her out for once, or any Olympian for that matter. Still, the uneasiness of the ease of that situation gnawed at her.

 _Ding._

The elevator reached. Annabeth was about to step inside when she saw the figure already inside the car. She stopped dead in her tracks.

Aphrodite, goddess of love, smiled at her. "Annabeth dear, good to see you!"

* * *

"What do you want?" She said.

"Taking the elevator, same as you," The goddess replied, her voice honeyed with innocence. "Are you getting in?"

Annabeth had half a mind to say, "No thanks." and leave, but if Aphrodite was here she clearly had something she wanted to do. Not taking the lift would just delay this. Better to get this over with and find some Lethe water from the Hypnos cabin later. She was half-serious.

Wordlessly, she stepped in and the golden doors slid shut. The car rumbled for a moment before it began its slow descent.

Annabeth kept her eyes on the marble floor, determined not to look at the goddess. As usual, she looked maddeningly perfect with her lush, long black hair. Her high cheekbones and diamond-shaped face gave her a regal appearance. Gold earrings dangled from her pointed ears. Silver bracelets studded with rubies adorned her fair-skinned wrists. She wore a gold dress speckled with diamonds and other gemstones. It was paired with high heels of the same colour and sparkle.

She mentally slapped herself for somehow remembering how she looked from a few seconds. It was infuriatingly engraved in her memory.

"I heard about what happened to Perseus. Very saddening," Aphrodite began.

"Just say what you're here for," she said flatly.

"Well, Perseus is the reason why I'm here," Aphrodite replied. "I may be able to help him."

Annabeth didn't let the goddess see her shock, replying with a tone like cold steel. "No thanks. I can handle this."

"If you say so, but my offer will stand. I hate to see you like this, dear. You were so close to becoming much more than friends...officially," she purred.

Her face went red, whether it was embarrassment or anger, Annabeth wasn't sure. "That's none of your business," she snarled.

"Of course it is! I'm the goddess of love!" She said. Then, with a suggestive tone, the tone that her stepbrothers always made when they were up to something. "I mean, it is a shame that Percy won't remember what happened prior to his — ah, slip up."

Her head snapped up on impulse to face the triumphant smile of the goddess. "Oh?" She cupped her mouth as though surprised. "You didn't know?"

 _Snap out of it, it's what she wants,_ a part of her screamed.

"He forgets the few hours before he relapses each time. I assumed you, of all people, would have realised this the first time it happened." She continued.

"You've been spying," Annabeth shot.

"Not spying dear," she crooned, "I just happen to know things. A lot of things, in fact."

Annabeth's mouth tasted sour. Did the elevator usually take this long?

"I don't need your help. I don't need you here now." She meant to say it with a tone of concrete finality, but it came out weaker than she had hoped.

"No one needs love, but everyone wants it." She batted her eyelashes. "You, most of all, want someone in your life that can make you feel –" She tapped Annabeth on the head with her index, and instantly, Annabeth's heart melted. She felt light-headed and found herself smiling from ear to ear for no reason. Warm memories flooded her mind.

She saw the panic scribbled all over Percy's face when he grabbed her hand, repeatedly saying, "No." when he thought she was going to join the Hunters. She saw the desperation in his eyes, like a beached baby seal. She remembered making that dumb, impulse decision to kiss Percy before they separated in the Labyrinth. She could hear her mother scoffing. No child of hers made an impulse decision. It wasn't a word in her dictionary. She felt the stinging pain of the dagger she had intercepted for Percy, somehow knowing where his weak spot was. Later, when she touched Percy's weak spot, she saw herself holding Percy's hand as he bathed in the Styx. He had chosen her. She was his link to the mortal world.

"Like that." Aphrodite finished, triumphantly.

Annabeth didn't respond, her stupor too great to overcome. Aphrodite gave a breathy sigh and snapped her fingers. Just as quickly, the feelings vanished. Annabeth blinked, then she growled. "Don't ever touch me again."

Aphrodite laughed as though she were a hamster throwing an adorable tantrum. "I don't need to, my dear, but someone else will. And where there is love, I am there. A word of caution for you, lovely Annabeth, don't get _too_ attached. Goodness knows what might happen."

Annabeth drew her dagger on the goddess. "Get. Out." She said with gritted teeth. Aphrodite showed no sign of fear, not even a flinch.

"As you wish, Ms Chase. But I do find your life… particularly interesting. Yours and Percy's. It's quite adorable," she said, a pinkish glint in her eyes. She snapped her fingers, and the elevator doors opened with a ding.

With a last wide, loathsome smile, she disappeared into a pink puff of mist.

* * *

Percy's eyes yawned open, fluttering as he took in his surroundings. He felt something soft under him. Was that the scent of lavender in the air? Where was he?

He slowly sat up, confused. He was lying on a simple bed, like it was bought at IKEA. A brown, wool blanket was draped over him. Two other white fluffy pillows were rumpled and, to his embarrassment, stained with some of his drool.

The room was small and coloured beige. Marble tiles tessellated the ground. Simple candlelights hung on the ceiling. Besides some sofas and other furniture, the room was empty. The mahogany door was open, and he heard the tinkling sounds of china beyond it.

Racking his brains, he couldn't seem to recall what had happened that led him here. Was he captured and this was some evil monster's lair? He patted his pocket for Riptide and he heaved a sigh of relief when he felt it.

Before he could formulate some plan of escape, he heard footsteps. They were slow, relaxed, soft. A figure stepped into the room.

"Lady Hestia?" Percy asked, dumbfounded. Of all the beings that he expected to walk through the doorway, she was one of the lowest on his list.

"Oh, you're awake!" She said. She placed the tray she was holding on a table. It was carrying a teapot and a few teacups. She poured a cup of what Percy assumed was tea. She offered it to him, which he took.

"Thank you, but...why am I here?" Percy asked.

"Please, take a sip first. I'll explain everything to you. At least, I'll do my best."

Percy did as she asked. The liquid was sweeter than he expected, but it seemed to be the perfect level of sweetness for his taste. It had the faint taste of a plant. Honeysuckle, he thought. "Woah."

She gave a smile. "I added a tiny bit of Nectar to help with the healing."

"Healing?" He frowned.

"I'll get to that. Anyway, the reason why you're here…"

She began her retelling of the earlier events. As Percy listened, he grew more and more shocked. He blushed slightly when she told him Annabeth and him had been on a date. Anger rippled through him when she told him his condition might have been another person's doing, but like a lit match flickering furiously, it was snuffed and crumbled into ashes.

"I've always felt like this," he confessed, sitting back against the wall dejectedly. "I never told anyone. Not even Annabeth. The rest always seemed to handle it well, but I often dreamt about or remembered the things I'd been through, and…" his voice faltered, looking at her.

Hestia seemed to read his mind. "I won't tell anyone." She reassured him. "This stays between us. You've nothing to worry about."

"I don't want to talk about it. I want to know who did this to me." He clenched his fists.

Hestia waved her hand, and the fire burning in Percy's stomach extinguished, replaced by a warm, comforting feeling, as though he had drank a warm bowl of chicken soup. His hands relaxed.

"Anger will do you no good. Not now." She said with some sternness, but not unkindly. "I understand your pain, but that is not the same as anger."

Percy's expression softened, and he looked down in slight shame. "Okay."

"I am here to help you recover from your sufferings in the past, That requires...revisiting those memories. Only then can your fear subside. Do you understand?"

He nodded, a slight tremor in his hand.

"To do so, you have to let me see inside your head," she continued, quite bluntly. Percy's face flushed, thinking about all the things he prayed Hestia wouldn't see.

"Al—alright."

"I won't tell anyone, okay?" She repeated kindly. Her words were like a cool morning breeze at the beach, relaxing Percy's shoulders. Again, he nodded.

"So, are you ready to begin?"

Percy hesitated before agreeing. Hestia stood up and placed both her hands on his head, with her thumbs resting on his forehead. She closed her eyes. The world around him faded.

* * *

 **4/8/18:**

 **Updated and split up. See end of ch5 for details**


	4. Chapter 4: Delve

Annabeth thanked the driver absentmindedly, paid the fare and got out the cab. Before her was the same old Central Park she had visited just two hours ago on what was supposed to be a happy occasion.

Instead, as though the Fates were playing some sort of sick joke, it had ended up with Percy needing magical therapy and her investigating the cause of the Cetus after the latter had effectively ruined their date.

Gods, and he didn't even remember it. Sure, Hestia would be explaining the events, but it wasn't the same, was it? As short as the date was, she enjoyed it all. The comfortable silence between them as they walked to Central Park, the conversation between them, and he was about to "officially" ask her out...

Well, technically, going on a date meant they were already together right? She mentally slapped herself. Why was she even considering these things? At this point, the Fates were definitely personally interested in playing the largest prank known to demigod-kind.

Then again, when were the Fates _not_ playing a sick joke? The thought of that soured her mood even further. The trail she walked alone now was the same as the one she had walked with Percy, burgers in their hands, enjoying some time specially for each other, like normal teenagers.

Finally, she reached the lake, which had returned to its original hue of light marine, without monster dust polluting its waters. Standing a few feet away, she remembered the conversation she had that brought her back here.

" _A Cetus?" Chiron sounded puzzled. "Those are extremely rare, and one that's been living in the mortal world for so long whilst staying dormant...it's strange. If memory serves, their nests must be at least 20 feet deep."_

" _I know, I want to check out the lake again. See if it's some sort of monster nest, or what's so weird about it. I mean, with so much food walking around everyday, something doesn't add up." She replied._

" _It's dangerous," he cautioned, "If it is a monster nest, you may want to bring backup."_

" _No, I won't go into the lake. I can use Daedalus' laptop to do a scan. If there's more of them, I'll send a Iris Message." She said, not up for having company, or for other people wondering what Annabeth was doing at Central Park to discover a lurking sea monster._

" _Well, if you want to. Would you like to at least tell whoever you want for backup to get ready? If you need it, of course."_

" _Sure. I'll get Malcolm and Clarisse."_

 _Chiron shook his head. "Someone must lead the Athena cabin in your absence. I can spare Ms La Rue, but you'll have to find someone else, preferably not a Head Counselor."_

 _Annabeth groaned internally. She didn't want more people to be asking questions. The Head Counselors already knew, and Annabeth trusted them enough to not spill this out to the camp. As for Malcolm, he was the sibling she was closest to. Anyone else was a liability._

 _Chiron seemed to read her thoughts. "Why are you afraid of people finding out?" He questioned._

 _Annabeth bit her lip. "I just – I don't want everyone to know that something's wrong with Percy."_

" _Child, what Perseus is going through is very normal, especially for a demigod who has done what he did. The camp will understand."_

" _You weren't there," Annabeth wanted to say, but bit back the retort. "I'll find someone then," she conceded. "Then I'll get going."_

 _The centaur nodded. "May the Fates protect you."_

A sharp laugh pulled Annabeth from her thoughts. She turned around to see a couple walking by the gravel path. They were both about her age. The guy had his arm around the girl and was — Annabeth assumed — telling a joke, eliciting the giggle from the dark-haired girl. Annabeth swivelled her head back before they noticed. She hoped they hadn't.

Her ears felt hot, whether it was embarrassment or envy, Annabeth wasn't sure.

 _Focus_ , she chided herself. She slung her haversack over her and brought out her laptop. Inputting a command, a device the size of her palm slid out from one of its ports, which she took out. It was made of titanium, with three triangular plates extended and a circular glass monocle emitting light holding it together.

She had tried this once before while she was experimenting, in those few days after her Labyrinth quest, when she was figuring out what the laptop could do. Even now, she was still discovering new things about it, each of them astounding her.

She tossed it into the lake – she could have it return to her anyway – and typed into the command prompt:

ALPHA - OMEGA - EPSILON. SCAN.

A brief delay took place before a new window popped up, exploding with lines upon lines of data. Water salinity, composition, species of marine life living inside, even the erosion of the nearby rocks and soils. She attempted to find the depth, but gave up and typed it in the search bar.

When she saw the result, she frowned.

The lake was only 10 feet deep.

* * *

"Where are we?" Percy asked.

"It's your mind, Perseus." The two of them were standing in an enclosed area. Darkness billowed over them with the cold wind, sending a shudder through Percy's body. He stretched out his arms to feel around the room, and his arms slammed against rough brick. He winced at the pain, but it felt much more dull than it should have. When he looked at his arm, it wasn't bleeding. The wind howled again, much louder, pressing against the confining stone.

"The Labyrinth," The words that escaped his mouth were lost to the deafening gales, but he could have sworn the walls rumbled in acknowledgement.

He glanced at Hestia. She was wearing the same clothes that she had in the normal world. So was he, he realised, when he looked at himself.

There was a shout. "This way!" A reedy voice cried out. Percy turned to face the source. He knew that voice from anywhere. And he also knew what was happening.

Grover was scrambling, along with Annabeth, Tyson and — he sucked in a breath — himself, but a year younger. He wasn't a stranger to seeing himself. Demigod dreams did that to everyone, but he couldn't explain a churning in his stomach at the sight of himself.

He remembered now, where they were headed to. Unearthly shrieks of terror reverberated through the tunnel. Something, or a lot of somethings, were coming.

Cold dread shot down his spine like ice. He knew what they were, but hearing those shrieks again still terrified him. Arai.

He looked again at Annabeth, who was stumbling blind. The rest were cursed with other bloody injuries. He had a deep gash in his thigh. Tyson's arm was twisted — as was his stomach.

Grover was fine, but his expression was one of complete, utter fear. His movements were frantic, almost crazed. He was leading the other two and past-Percy to a light in the ever-expanding darkness. It had only been a few hours since they had stepped in that accursed maze, and the monsters, the spirits of vengeance, had shown up.

Another bolt of ice lashed his back. Then it melted, a warmth spreading through his body like the waters at Montauk, his favourite holiday spot for him and his mom. He turned to see Hestia gazing at him with an expression he couldn't quite make out.

The memory faded. He found himself back in the room.

"I think that's enough for today." Hestia said.

"How did, how could I have seen everything? If it's my memories...everything looked so real." Percy asked, feeling slightly out of breath.

Hestia fixated her eyes on him. The flames that burned within were dim. "They were what you imagined," she said, with a tone of melancholy.

Percy sat back, leaning against the smooth wall, still trembling. "Those things, the Arai…" Percy's voice trailed off. The cut on his thigh stung again. It had taken a lot of supplies from Geryon's ranch to heal it up, in addition to the numerous cuts from the Arai's talons.

"I still think about them. The monsters I've killed. The Arai keep growing with every curse that the monsters call. They even regenerate, sooner or later. But heroes...we don't." His throat was clogged with bitterness.

"That's what makes heroes special. Your souls and your purpose, it's what the monsters you face lack. Don't despair over what seems like a pointless life, Perseus. Look at what you've accomplished in such a short period of time."

"I just want some peace, but I won't get it. Ever." Percy muttered.

Hestia sighed. "I know. You can only make do with what you have. That's not to say you're alone in this. Look at all your friends and family. They stand together with you."

"And you? Where are you in all this?"

"Perseus, I stand in the centre, where the hearth burns. I will always be with everyone, including you."

He looked at her and another tingle of warmth comforted him. He smiled, the first one all day. "Thank you, Lady Hestia."

She returned it. "It's my pleasure, Perseus. I think that will do for today. Do come back tomorrow, whenever you are free. I will inform Chiron about this."

He nodded and thanked her again before leaving.

* * *

Annabeth couldn't pay attention. She always paid attention, yet as she sat at the amphitheatre, her eyes fixated on Chiron talking about...something, her mind was unfocused, or perhaps, no. Focused on other things. Yes.

Anyway, she already knew what was happening. She had other things on her mind.

Pieces of a very dangerous puzzle were coming together. The throne room, Percy's condition, the Cetus, Aphrodite's words, all of it. Above all, the pink glow.

If her theory was right – and she prayed it was not, something unimaginable was happening.

It was not just another of Aphrodite's games or her idea of fun. The Cetus attack proved that much. It crossed the line of a practical joke to mess up her life and Percy's.

The pink glow in the throne room could not have been her eyes playing tricks on her. If she was there, that meant… Percy's condition...

Her stomach felt like it had been gripped by a cold hand. She wouldn't have done that. No way.

The cold hand burned with fire. For a brief moment, all she could think about was strangling the goddess of love with her own jewellery.

She took a breath to calm herself. What do I do? She asked herself.

 _Tell Zeus, or Mother. ASAP? No. Too dangerous. She might be spying, watching. The party the day after,_ She decided, _Maybe she'll be too busy flirting._

Although that didn't seem right. Whatever Aphrodite was planning, she wouldn't just lapse in her watchfulness for revelries. But better to be in public, so she couldn't be outright attacked, if it came to that, without drawing everyone's attention. She had no other option, which infuriated her.

" _I just happen to know things. A lot of things, in fact."_

 _What do you know? Are you lying, faking it?_

" _Don't get too attached. Goodness knows what might happen."_

She had a sudden urge to pull her hair in frustration, but she was in public, so she kept her composure steady, but it was as difficult as resisting the Sirens' call.

Ironic, wasn't it? The goddess of love telling her not to love anyone. She laughed humorlessly in her head. What would happen? Something worse than what had already happened?

Her laughter cut instantly. _Yes,_ she could hear Aphrodite answering.

"Hey." A familiar voice pulled her from her thoughts and back to the now more terrifying reality she had crafted with her thoughts.

Her head spun around instantly. "You're back!" She smiled instinctively, even though it hurt.

"Glad you noticed," Percy replied dryly . "What did Chiron announce?"

"The announcement of the party. It's happening on Saturday night."

"I thought your job had to be completed by Saturday."

"Yeah, but Mom thinks we can finish by tomorrow. Hecate offered to speed up the construction, and Mr D with the party."

"That's great!" He grinned. She smiled as well, then it slid off her face. "Can we talk? After this, I mean."

"Sure. I need to talk to you too."

He gazed at the campfire for a few seconds, then he nudged her. "You wanna sing? It's just one more song anyway."

She turned to him and blinked, her confused expression quickly morphing into a smile. "Sure." She hid the uncertainty quite well, it seemed.

Percy began to sing – quite off tune admittedly, and Annabeth found herself staring at him. His eyes were closed, his dark hair ruffling in the wind. He looked so peaceful, but Annabeth felt so hollow.

 _He's so upbeat. What happened to him?_ She wondered. _He's never sang along._

She had often encouraged him to sing, but he wasn't much of a singer. Neither was she, for that matter, but she was pressured to, bring cabin counselor and all. Of course, today was a Thursday, which meant she didn't have to lead her cabin since it was free seating, so she abstained from singing.

She should have felt happy that he had become way more happy than just a few hours ago, but as she sang she the song about the satyr who couldn't find his house, bitterness crept into her voice. She wasn't the one to cheer him up till he felt like singing. She should have been.

Her voice was drowned out by the chorus of the demigods' elation.

The song ended. Chiron made the last few announcements that Annabeth half-heartedly listened to, before the majority of the crowd dispersed to their cabins.

"Come on." Percy stood up and offered a hand. "We'll talk along the way."

Annabeth took it. His grip felt strong, normal, the same hand that wielded Riptide and slew hundreds of monsters. It was nothing like the weak, flailing arm clutching desperately on her shoulder as she led him to Apollo's palace.

The two walked in silence, Annabeth fumbling for words to say, but Percy started, "Hestia told me what happened."

"Everything I told Apollo, I'm assuming," She replied.

He shrugged. "I guess. I don't think Apollo or Hestia will tell anyone. Doctors' confidentiality right?"

"Actually, his son Asclepius invented that," She blurted out.

He smiled at her. "There's my Wise Girl." Annabeth's heart fluttered, and she smiled as well.

"Anyway, she told me there was a date, before...you know, but she didn't tell me in detail. I wanted to ask, could you? I – I wanted to know how it went. I remember asking you, but I don't remember that day."

Annabeth stuffed her hands into her pockets. "I – I don't want to talk about it. I'm sorry, but what happened today…" Flashes of the Cetus with its tentacles flailing, Percy hyperventilating and saying things she couldn't catch sprang to her mind. She forced them down, along with the tears that threatened to spill.

"I get it," He responded gently, holding her arm. Annabeth's face felt hot. She allowed Percy to hold her hand.

"I'm sorry the first date sucked, I'd like to make it up to you." Percy slid in front of her smoothly, stopping Annabeth in her tracks.

"I – I'd like to go out you. As, um, more than friends. Maybe for the party on Saturday. It seems like a good time." The words spilled out of Percy, in his usual cute anxiety. His eyes darted between her own and his shoes.

Her heart soared, but then it sunk like an anchor. The words that she hoped would have been said this afternoon were again being spoken to her. It was something she desperately wanted, but if Percy's words was a gentle sea, Aphrodite's words was like the shark lurking just beneath it.

 _Don't get too attached._

"I – I can't." She forced the words out. Her tongue felt like sandpaper.

His gentle smile melted into a frown, like he had misheard. "Why?"

Her hands were shaking – no, her whole body was shaking, fighting to keep the tears from flowing. She looked at Percy. His face was crestfallen, shattered. It was a flawless mirror.

She gave up fighting. The dam broke.

"Oh gods, Percy. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry." She sobbed. "It's – you can't understand – it'll only hurt you."

"Annabeth?" Percy asked. His voice was hollow. "I don't…"

She didn't hear the rest. She didn't know when she started running away, but she felt the cold wind blowing her tears across her cheeks as she ran to her cabin, the silent sobbing as she buried her hands in her face, while the gleeful laugh of Aphrodite followed her every step.

* * *

 **20/7/18 (GMT +0800)**

 **I had way too much fun and emotions writing this, especially the last scene. It really made me consider turning this into a Percabeth story. Maybe I'll do a spin-off. Anyway, here you go. The next chapter might take even longer because my exams is in a month and my finals in 2. I can't promise anymore updates within that period. 19 November is when it all blows over.**

 **I'm slightly worried about how OOC I've taken the characters, most of all Apollo. Tell me whether you think I've done alright with the tone of the characters. Annabeth is a close second.**

 **Also, I'm redoing canon a bit, especially the Labyrinth scene, since Arai don't appear till HoH. I've done this for several reasons, first of which is that I haven't read the original series in a while and I also want the story to shift in my favour, so uh sorry. Canon might be pulled taut at some areas.**

 **Lastly, my plan for updating is when I finish writing a draft, I'll do a quick edit, re-read about 3 times and make changes as I see fit, and then upload it. It should clear up any grammar and spelling errors, but those cheeky pieces of crap are elusive, and I will probably read this in the future and see another change. So I'll do another edit after uploading. It is difficult to not say "f*ck it" and upload a finished first draft immediately, like, really difficult, but I'll control myself.**

 **Any constructive feedback is appreciated. I'm well aware my story's not perfect. If any observant people out there notice a plot hole, flaw in logic or anything they feel needs addressing, I really want to hear about it. Seriously.**

 **Thanks for reading guys!**

 **-CompletelyAnonymous**

 **4/8/18**

 **Updated and split up. Read next chapter for fuller explanation.**


	5. Chapter 5: Dissent

Annabeth dreamt of a crumbling Olympus. She stood on the edge of a cliff sliced into another nearby mountain that towered over the Olympus like an eagle to a pigeon. The air was choked with smoke and ozone. It was morning; Annabeth didn't know how she knew, for black clouds swamped the sky like heralds of destruction. Raging infernos blazed the home of the gods, casting bright yellow and dark red against the dark sky. If anything, it looked like a scene from an apocalyptic movie.

As she watched, a lightning bolt, larger than the natural world should ever have been able to conjure, tore into the foundation of marble. It lashed out in blinding white tendrils, striking other places with an uncontrolled fury. The courtyard was sundered, the foyer ruined. Screams were cut up beneath the roar of the flames.

The lightning was only the first part.

CRACK. The force of the thunder, like a hundred drums slammed in unison whilst amplified by a thousand magnitudes, sent shockwaves through the mountain, tearing huge chunks of stone from it and sending them rolling down the side. Dust and debris scattered everywhere as the pillars of Olympus cracked and shivered under the godly force.

Worst of all, it was her Olympus. The redesign she had made painstakingly. Somehow she knew the statues and the pillars she had spent hours on were being sliced through like a knife through butter.

She choked back a sob. She knew what this scene was. She had read about it so many times, yet seeing it in what seemed like a horrific parallel universe first-hand made her wish she had never read about it.

A flash in the clouds, as bright as a supernova, illuminated the being causing this destruction. His muscular silhouette contrasted against the exploding white light as he held another bolt of utter destruction in his hand.

Zeus.

He struck again, the bolt shattering the dome of the throne room. Glass flew into the air, iridescent crystal blades shooting down, shredding banners, killing denizens and tearing down the palace further. Another boom rattled the mountain like it was made of paper.

A sickly feeling grew in Annabeth's stomach. This was wrong, all wrong. Zeus had destroyed Othrys, not Olympus, not his own home. She knew it was a dream. _Just a dream,_ she told herself, over and over.

Then her vision became pure white, lasting almost three seconds. Her eardrums practically burst from the thunder. When she blinked the spots out of her eyes, she sobbed at the sight of what remained of Olympus.

Smoke billowed from the impact zone. Debris tumbled down the broken slopes of the mountain. The rest had been vaporised by the lightning. When the smoke cleared, she saw the blackened crater the blast had created, straight into the heart of the mountain. Its sides fell away, till Olympus was nothing more than a meagre mockery of its once magnificent height. Zeus had destroyed half of it.

The god of the sky's wrath was appeased, and silence trailed in his wake as he departed. However, the clouds only darkened, this time to a midnight black. A freezing gale creeped over Annabeth's skin. She shivered.

Then she saw a new figure, one rising over the clouds, cast in shadow, but two glowing beams of light illuminated the darkness. They were pink.

She laughed, her voice deep and rich, as though the cosmos itself were laughing alongside her. It was nothing like the thunder that Zeus had created.

The beams fixated on her and flared up, as though they had spotted something interesting. Every hair on Annabeth's skin shot straight up, not just in repulsion and fear, but it was as if she was gravitating towards the being that rose over the entire planet. Physically, that would make sense. But nothing seemed to. Her mind struggled to comprehend the view before her; it was like seeing a distorted kaleidoscope underwater.

"Wake up," A voice said plainly. And Annabeth did, gasping profusely. She lay there for a while, sitting upright. _What the Hades was that?_

It was a dream. She knew that as much. Was it a prophecy? Thoughts of Zeus blasting Olympus to rubble flickered through her mind again. She shivered. And that being...whoever she was. She felt so powerless, so minuscule and utterly unimportant. Those pink eyes...

She shut out the following thought. Whatever happened in her dream, it couldn't be a reality.

 _Then what was it?_

A delusion, perhaps. Days of fatigue and work finally affecting her mind. A nightmare? She never had nightmares like those, of a seemingly omnipotent goddess controlling existence itself. It couldn't be...

Before she could mull over it further, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," She called.

A head peeked in. "Hey."

"Oh. Hi Malcolm. What's up?"

"You want to wash up first? I need to talk to you."

"Um, sure. Give me a few minutes."

He nodded and closed the door again. She did a quick shower, brushed her teeth and hair and threw on her camp T-shirt and shorts. She went outside and saw Malcolm sitting on a sofa.

"Yeah?" She prompted.

He bit his lip. "Can we do this in your room?"

She frowned slightly but agreed. Once the two of them were inside and the door behind them was shut, they sat on the bed.

"You do remember what happened last night, right?" He paused, and continued with an edge of trepidation. "You know, you and...him."

"Oh." She had nearly forgotten, what with the equally terrifying dream that had followed. Her face flushed.

Malcolm raised his hands quickly in something like a placating gesture. "I'm not prying, but I'm not certain the camp isn't either."

"I get it," She said with an edge of roughness.

"Just...there's going to be people whispering and pointing. Ignore them, alright?"

"Yeah. Thanks." She said, perhaps a tad too harsh. He shifted away from Annabeth slightly, eyes darting around. A twinge of guilt bit at her conscience.

"Sorry," she muttered, "I've been having a hell of a week."

"We know. We'll try to help any way we can. You're not alone in this."

 _Unless you can get Aphrodite out of my life, I don't think so,_ she wanted to say. She settled for a "Thanks."

The two sat in silence for a while till she spoke up again. "How...how loud was I?" She phrased her question carefully.

"Honestly? Not that loud, but the centre few cabins heard you," Malcolm admitted, "I reckon some saw it."

"Centre few...so…" Annabeth groaned.

"Aphrodite cabin. Yeah. Sorry." He said.

"Forget it. Let's go eat. It's seven forty-five." She sighed.

Her half-sibling nodded and the two left.

* * *

Percy's morning wasn't any better. For one, he had woken up late. It wasn't uncommon by any means — he was a heavy sleeper after all, but as he stirred awake after a sleepless night and sat up on his bed, he realised Annabeth hadn't come to wake him up.

She started doing that when they were around 15, after the Winter Solstice. Her reasoning for dragging him out of bed early, way before breakfast and the headcount, was to help her. She somehow always had something for him to do, whether it was to install an underwater pipe or test the effectiveness of their designed weapons against high pressured water. Hades, she woke him up one day just to get his opinion on whether a redesigned mess hall should have been grey or beige.

He never complained because, well, he liked it. He knew she had the same ulterior motive everytime, the same Stolen moments where it was just the two of them enjoying the silence of a slumbering camp and occasionally, the sunrise over Long Island Sound. He still wished they could watch it rise as an official couple, as everyone defined it.

But apparently, someone out there decided afflicting him with random breakdowns was funny, and after what happened last night…

 _I swear it's Aphrodite,_ he thought angrily, _playing some kind of sick joke and making me dream about that._

That was his only dream. No other nightmares of the Titan War, like the one he had had since the end of the it. He would gladly take seeing the glowing gold eyes of Kronos as he slammed Percy away than the brimming eyes of Annabeth as she ran away a second time.

The memory had played out from his own point of view, giving him another opportunity to view the event again, as much as he dreaded to see it. Had he said something wrong? Was he being too forthcoming? Why did she say no? Why was she crying? The same questions which had plagued him yesterday encroached him once again. He still had no answers.

Frustration coursed through his veins like burning ice, tightening his fists and his expression. A desire to punch all the people that was ruining his life burned in his gut. Whoever gave him this...curse, the damned Cetus, and maybe Aphrodite.

 _Why can't you just leave me alone and stop messing my life up?_ He wanted to shout at the goddess. _Can't I have a normal relationship for once?_

He could hear Annabeth's voice chide him. "Don't blame people without proof." A smile tugged at his lips just for a moment before it faded, remembering her tear-stained face and her broken voice.

He had to find out what was going on. _After breakfast,_ he decided, _which...damn it, I'm late._

He rushed through washing up and left his cabin, heading towards the mess hall. The other cabins were mostly empty except for a few other latecomers like him. Most of them were the new campers from the minor gods, and had no cabin counselors to wake them up.

Suddenly, he heard a choking cry. His head swivelled. _Hecate cabin._

"Hey!" Percy shouted as he saw the source of the noise: a burly kid with dark hair punching a scrawny kid against the wall.

"Sherman! Get off of him!" Percy commanded. Sherman looked at him and with a snarl, threw the boy a last time

"I'm only listening since you saved our asses, Jackson. I don't know why you wanted to help these worthless scum." Sherman glared at him, his fists still clenched. Percy met his gaze straight on while helping the kid to his feet, who was groaning.

"He's a demigod. Same as you," Percy retorted.

"Opposite sides. It makes all the difference of honouring them, or giving them what they deserve. This Hecate kid right here, I saw him launching fireballs, creating illusions. He ––" He choked. "David died because of him!"

"You don't know that," Percy shot back, but when he looked at the accused, he hid his face behind his mop of brown hair.

"I saw it. I swear on the Styx." Thunder boomed. Nothing happened to Sherman.

Percy took a deep breath. "He made a wrong decision. He didn't get the recognition we were given. Kronos lured him because of that. Cut him some slack."

The son of Ares stared at him with a mixture of fury and confusion. "Cut him ––" He laughed incredulously. "Cut him some slack? You think he just blew a raspberry at us or something? This guy right here," Sherman pointed at his face, "He killed our allies. He made his own choice to join the losing team. He lost, he gets punished."

"Enough." Percy said, his tone as hard as steel. "I'm ordering you to not hurt him. Swear on the Styx."

Sherman glowered at him with cold hatred in his eyes. It was dangerously silent for 5 seconds. "I swear on the Styx to not hurt him." He finally muttered. Thunder rumbled again. He turned on his heel, facing away from them.

"Maybe I can't hurt him, but this whole camp is crawling with treacherous scum like him, Jackson, as well as the siblings of those who died because of them. I wonder how you'll protect them all." Before Percy could respond, Sherman marched off.

Percy heard a sob and looked down, since the boy was up to Percy's shoulder. He was staring at the ground, shuddering in fear. He couldn't have been more than fourteen.

"Hey, it's alright. I'll do something about this. I promise." Percy knelt to look at him in the eye, one hand on his shoulder.

Slowly, the boy looked at him. His face had one bruise from the beating. His eyes were sunken as though he hadn't slept in a week. His irises were grey, not child-of-Athena grey, but they reminded him of a thick fog.

"Thank you," he mumbled. His voice had an accent, enunciating his vowels more. Maybe somewhere in Asia? Percy didn't dwell on that.

"No problem. What's your name?"

"Stacey. Stacey Imilu."

Percy nodded. "C'mon, I'll take you to the infirmary." He supported him as the two walked the opposite way. The silence of the walk was punctured by the occasional cough from Stacey, which worried Percy. He might have broken a rib.

When they were a few steps from the door, it swung open. A camper with blonde hair rushed out to help. Percy recognised him and was going to greet him before realising Will Solace had a better sense of urgency than him. Wordlessly, they helped Stacey into the infirmary and onto a bed.

Will quickly grabbed some nectar nearby and trickled a few drops into Stacey's mouth, then he hovered both his arms above Stacey's chest and muttered a few words in Ancient Greek. Gradually, the son of Hecate's breathing became more level. He stopped coughing, and lapsed into unconsciousness.

Both of them heaved a sigh, before Will collapsed onto a chair. "Hey Perce," he took a few slow breaths, as though he had just ran a marathon, "He'll be fine. I'll watch him. You should eat breakfast before it's over."

"Need me to get anything for you?"

Will waved his hand dismissively. "I asked Kayla to get me some. All good man."

"Has this happened before?" Percy asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Campers attacking the demigods who fought on Kronos' side."

Will's widened eyes were an answer. "No, this is the first time. Why? Who beat him up?"

"Sherman."

Will ran a hand through his hair. "I can't blame him. He lost his brother in the war. He'd want to blame anyone he could find."

Percy shook his head. "This guy did it," he said, pointing at Stacey, "His name's Stacey. Son of Hecate. He killed David. Yang swore on the Styx and everything. It's…" He drew a shaky breath.

"We'll talk about it later, at the meeting." Will assured him, but his gaze lay transfixed on the young face of Stacey, emotionless. "Hades, I've never thought about it that way. I knew they were helping, but I never actually saw them. I don't recognise any of them either."

"I know, I've never realised it too. It's crazy."

The two were quiet before Percy spoke up, "I'll go and grab breakfast then. See you at 11."

Will nodded, and Percy left the infirmary, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

After breakfast, the councillors had their usual meeting. It was the last one to be attended by the old councillors before new ones from the new cabins were allowed to participate. Good thing too, Percy thought. What he wanted to say concerned them greatly.

"First things first, there is the matter of the celebrations tomorrow, or as Zeus has called it, the Olympian Revelries," Chiron began.

Percy found himself listening intently, or more so than usual. The gathering point was the centre of the cabins at 6.30 tomorrow, where Hermes would provide transport. Apparently, Chiron did not wish to attend and would stay behind with Argus and the campers who had the same sentiments. He brightened up slightly when he heard that his dad would be sending a squadron of Cyclops to guard the camp in the campers' absence.

"Uh Chiron? What about Spruce?" Grover asked, tentatively.

"Oh dear, you're right, Grover. My apologies, I've nearly forgotten." Chiron rubbed his temple.

"What about Spruce? He was doing fine yesterday," Jake said, helpfully refreshing Percy's memory about the satyr.

"There's been a development, I'm afraid, good and bad for us. Spruce found three more demigods as he was escorting the other two. He sent an Iris-Message just this morning to Grover."

"Can they fight?" Annabeth asked suddenly. Percy's head perked up instinctively. A few other counselors looked between her and him, but said nothing.

Chiron shook his head. "The oldest is only 14, the rest are between 8 and 10."

"Hades, that's young," Connor said. "I'm guessing we send backup?"

"That would be best," Chiron agreed. "I believe 2 or 3 people should do it. How we're going to get people to volunteer is the question…"

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Malcolm Pace's head popped in. "Hi, I think you guys might need a quest or something?"

"Yeah. Why?" Annabeth questioned.

"Because I just had a vision of sorts."

"Please, come in Mr Pace," Chiron invited. Malcolm nodded and took an empty seat beside Percy. "Describe what you saw."

"I was with someone. We were escorting a bunch of demigods, around...Rockaway Beach? I think. That's honestly it."

Annabeth frowned. "That's not much to go on. Where did Spruce say he was at?" She looked at Grover.

"Around Brooklyn. It's possible they're related." Grover confirmed. Malcolm leaned back on his chair, whether in resignation or relaxation, Percy didn't know.

"Well, congratulations Pace, you just won yourself one exclusive free trip to the beach!" Travis adopted a tone of a game show host. "Any idea who the other lucky fellow is?"

"A girl. I never saw her face," He unhelpfully replied.

"Details, Pace. I need details!" Connor spoke with an extremely stereotyped Italian accent while mimicking an artist, holding an imaginary palette in one hand and waving an imaginary paintbrush frantically in his other.

Annabeth slapped Connor's arm. "Shut up, Stoll. We can always ask Rachel."

"I'm not sure it'll help. It's not exactly a quest, just an escort mission." Will added. Malcolm shrugged. "Anything that'll help. I'll be back soon."

"I'll come with you," Annabeth abruptly said, with a tone that suggested she was not asking for permission. Again, Percy caught some people looking at him.

"Wait." As Percy said it, all eyes were now locked on him. "There's something I need to say before you guys leave." Quickly, he described the earlier events regarding the son of Hecate. He noted Will's eyes darting around, scanning everyone's expression.

When he was done, Clarisse snarled, "I'll kill Yang later. Don't worry."

Chiron held up a hand to calm her. "I think this is not a sole concern of Mr Yang. This concerns all of us. Mr Jackson here has a raised a very good issue, one that I've considered but prayed would never happen." He sighed. "I'm afraid that it must be addressed."

"It is a common fact that we've lost people we've cared for and loved in the war. Whether or not their deaths was caused by the demigods that now reside in this camp, I hope that it will not matter to you. As cabin counselors, you know your responsibilities."

Chiron looked at each one of them in the eye to let the weight of the words sink in before continuing, "I will not have those children sent to another place for their safety, because this place is for their safety, nor would it help in healing the rift between these two groups of half-bloods. It will only tear it further apart. It goes against what Mr Jackson wanted, and what we all want."

"As such, the only thing we can do now is to stop these sentiments from taking root and destroying the harmony we are trying to repair after the war. Protect those that need to be protected, but do not hover over them constantly. Give it time. Soon, even the heaviest grudges will be dropped." Chiron paused. "We will not speak of this again unless it is absolutely crucial."

"Thank you, Chiron," Percy said. Chiron nodded and turned to Malcolm. "Please, Mr Pace, you and Ms Chase may leave for the Oracle. I believe this meeting is adjourned."

* * *

 **4/8/18:**

 **Hi all, ok uh I've realised my chapters were getting way too long. I did some digging around the web and found that most chapters are around 2-3k. Maybe some old novels could be 3-5k, and RR's were around 2k. So I'll be putting mine into 2-3k, maybe 4 sometimes.**

 **It gave me some time to relook over the two chapters (now split into 4) and I covered up a bunch of logic mess-ups and did some more editing. I'll probably relook them again in the near future. Lastly, there's three pieces of news on the topic of updates. First is that I'm using my author profile to broadcast updates.**

 **Another medium is this discord server I joined called "Immortal's Gathering". For those interested, it's a discord community for fanfiction for authors and fans alike. We have some pretty noteworthy members in there like Al red, who wrote "Percy Jackson Aztec Warrior", another Perstia story. We don't have EL James or the author who wrote "My immortal", so hop on in!** **bPkZYN3** **Link for the interested.**

 **Lastly, I know what I said about the whole "I wouldn't update till November" thing. I'll see how that turns out. As of now, I can still use the laptop I'm given to write, and maybe during my exams I can still write a bit for leisure, but if my laptop gets taken away then I don't know how it's gonna go. For now, I'll do my best to update as much as possible, since I already have the next 3 chapters outlined. When I do go on hiatus / when the cold hand of finals takes me away, I'll inform you guys via my profile and the discord (LINK ABOVE).**

 **Thanks again for reading. Criticism's appreciated. And if you see any error in logic, please do tell me. It would help me a bunch. Cheers!  
**


	6. Chapter 6: The Curtain Parts

**7/4/19: Yes, I'm back. Had a lot of stuff going on. Enjoy this. Also anyone like My Hero Academia? I'm considering uploading some fics here.**

* * *

"You shouldn't be drawing attention to yourself," Malcolm warned the minute they stepped outside the Big House.

Annabeth sighed. One drawback to being a child of Athena was that your siblings were just as observant as you. "I know, I wasn't thinking straight." If the councillors hadn't cared before about the drama between her and Percy, they would be now.

To Annabeth's relief, her half-brother didn't pursue the subject, so they walked in silence towards Rachel's cave.

The rest of the camp was in the midst of their daily activities. Without meaning to, Percy's words floated up in her memories. She found herself watching for any campers with spiteful or fearful expressions.

A few of them spotted her and were gawking. Annabeth did her best to ignore them, but it took a lot to control herself from snapping at them to mind their own business. She kept her head held high and her gaze turned away from them.

They reached the Oracle's cave, which had finished construction, thanks to Apollo's enthusiasm to see his favourite Oracle get a "sick crib".

"Hello?" Malcolm called out as they brushed aside the vines that hung over the entrance.

"Hi. What's up?" Rachel Dare waved at them. She was sitting on her stool painting something Annabeth did not recognise. She wore a white apron over her pink shirt and denim jeans which was splattered with a myriad of colours, while her frizzy red hair was as loud as ever. It was starting to grow on Annabeth.

"I see you're enjoying your holidays," She observed dryly.

The redhead grinned. "Perks of joining an independent academy. Random days off whenever. Anyway, what're you guys here for?"

Malcolm started to explain his vision, but midway through, Rachel's eyes glowed green, and the usual green smoke poured from her mouth. He stopped talking, and Annabeth murmured, "Here we go."

The same choir of voices spoke:

 _The son of owl and daughter of rice_

 _Shall rescue the children locked in vice_

The acid green light cut. Rachel's mouth closed and she stirred as the mist evaporated. Annabeth blinked. "Wait. That's it?"

The redhead rubbed her head. "How much did I say?"

"Two lines," Malcolm replied, frowning. "There's a rice god?"

"Excuse me?" Rachel cracked a smile. Annabeth recounted the lines for her.

"I suppose it's a short prophecy for a short mission. I guess it makes sense, but in the first place, the Oracle only spouts prophecies for quests. It's a bit strange, isn't it?" Rachel said. Malcolm nodded slowly.

"We'll report back to Chiron, maybe he knows who's this daughter of the rice god is." He shrugged. "Thanks anyway, Rachel."

"Anytime."

Rachel watched the two leave. Once she was sure she was alone, she gingerly ran her hand along the rock walls. The two demigods had not noticed, but the Oracle's mist had corroded the granite, as though acid had been poured on it, leaving a rough, scarred surface. She winced as her fingers brushed the sharpness of it.

 _What does this mean?_ She wondered, staring at the wall.

* * *

"That is peculiar," Chiron muttered, stroking his beard. "Well, I suppose it doesn't exactly matter, given the simplicity of this task. Perhaps the spirit of Delphi was feeling off today."

"But do you know who this rice god is?" Annabeth inquired, feeling slightly offended that despite her pride on her knowledge of Greek mythology, even some gods she had yet to hear about.

He chuckled. "Not a rice god, per say, but there is someone in camp whose name does mean rice, in a way. Tanaka."

"Tana –" Malcolm's face blanched. "You've got to be kidding me. She's the last possible person you'd get for this sort of thing."

Chiron shrugged. "Then let's pray Ms Tanaka has been paying attention in her combat lessons, or that nothing occurs on your journey here. May the gods protect you, Mr Pace."

Malcolm's face scrunched up with uncertainty, like he had been presented with a wooden stick for a fight against Heracles, but nodded nonetheless. Chiron galloped off.

"She hasn't," Annabeth muttered from the side of her mouth. "You need backup?"

He frowned, considering the prospect of having a partner that actually knew how to hold a sword. "No, tempting the Fates seems like a bad idea. If it really was me and Drew in the vision, bringing anyone else would be a bad thing."

"I guess that is what sucks about fate," Annabeth thought aloud.

"What sucks even more is how to tell her this. She's going to freak that she'll miss the Revelries."

"Oh gods, you're right."

* * *

 _He stood a few feet away, feet frozen to the ground. He was petrified and confused. He had no idea what was happening, except that his mother was in the clutches of a half-man, half-bull._

 _The minotaur roared, its eyes bloodshot and full of rage._

 _His mother wailed as her whole body dissolved into golden dust._

"NO!" The vision faded to black in an instant as Percy tore himself away from the magic, panting hard. Sweat careened down his forehead and back, soaking into his shirt, despite the room being cool and comfortable.

"I'm sorry, Perseus," Hestia said. "I've overestimated your limits."

He drew a shaky breath, getting to his feet. "I...I need to go for a while. I'll be back soon."

To his surprise, Hestia predicted what he wanted to do, waving her hand at the hearth beside them. It flared and showed his mother in her apartment sitting at her computer. Blue coffee mug in one hand and the other typing away at her keyboard, he heaved a sigh of relief that she was safe, and not in the clutches of the Minotaur, dissolving into golden dust.

"Thank – thank you," Percy said, feeling embarrassed. "I know it doesn't make sense. I know she's fine. I just…"

"That fear you have is not irrational, Perseus, and you shouldn't think it such. I shouldn't have replayed that vision. My apologies. Perhaps other encounters would have served as a better start."

"No, that worked. I have to get over that. It's just…" He grabbed the edges of his seat tightly, sucking in a breath. "Harder than I thought."

"Take it slowly. There's no rush to this treatment, and I would not have it so either."

"I still don't get this whole...thing. How long is this going to take? What is this supposed to accomplish?"

"As long as it needs. To help you recover from the horrors of your past," Hestia replied.

"By watching my mom get kidnapped by the Minotaur over and over again?" Percy asked, unable to hide the tone of bitterness.

Hestia showed no change in expression, but entered a contemplative silence for a few seconds before saying, "Perhaps, but I concede that a change in pace would be better for you…"

Her voice trailed off, the flame in her eyes settling just for a moment, then they relit, focusing on Percy. "Come." She offered a hand.

"Which memory is this now?" He said.

"Not a memory. A sanctuary."

Slowly, he took her hand, and the two disappeared.

As his being reformed, Percy caught the sight of something beautiful.

On top of the lush green hill they stood on, it overlooked a blanket of sparkling blue ocean, while the setting sun blasted radiant hues of red and orange across the cloudy sky, like the scene of a tapestry by Arachne.

"The Bay of Milos," Hestia said, answering the question forming in Percy's head.

"Uh…"

"Greece," She explained, smiling at Percy's confusion.

His eyes widened. "We're in Greece?"

Hestia nodded. "We Olympians are still connected to our roots no matter what. Coming home is not much of a task."

The two stood, watching the view, neither saying a word to each other.

"Feel better?" Percy heard Hestia question behind him.

He took a deep breath, feeling the cool breeze rush through his nose. It was strangely exhilarating, yet calming.

"Yeah, thank you," He said.

The comfortable silence lingered for a few moments before Percy asked, "Hestia? Could you give me some advice?"

"Sure. About what?"

"It's Annabeth. Something happened last night. She looked sad — no, not just sad, but...crushed." He winced at the word. It didn't sound right. It didn't put a finger on what he really wanted to describe. Annabeth would have had no issue correcting his vocabulary, were she here.

"Like she was going through a lot," he added lamely.

Hestia tapped her chin in thought. "You could try talking to her about this. I don't have the full story, and neither do I want to pry, so that's all the advice I can give. But don't discredit an honest conversation. It sometimes works better than any other method."

"Alright. I — I'll try that." Percy thanked her.

"We should go. Your hour's up, anyway."

"Okay," Percy said, pouting slightly.

Another snap of her fingers, and they reappeared in Hestia's palace. Another finished session.

* * *

 _In Greece…_

"You're not afraid," Python observed, flicking his tongue with a noticeable droop, as though disappointed. Its booming voice reverberated throughout the Cavern of Delphi, shattering small rocks and stalactites.

An acrid stench hung in the air, the poisonous gas rising from the cracks in the ground from which the snake appeared from. They hissed like tiny vipers heralding the arrival of their master, complementing the soft wails of agony from the priests and priestesses that lay there in various stages of decomposition.

"Predictable as ever, Python. I've seen your return, and my demise, for a long time now," the Oracle replied.

"Quite a shame you've concealed this knowledge from everyone, including your master," Python said.

"I have no master. You and I both know that Phoebus Apollo merely plays on the instrument of Fate. He knows only five strings, when there are five more he cannot control. If Fate decreed that he should know this, I would have informed him by now."

"And your oath has doomed you, and the world," Python hissed. "Tell me, why is fate so cruel?"

The Oracle sighed. "We have had this conversation before. If not me, then my predecessors, and like them, I will not answer that."

Python roared, rearing its head and striking the Oracle. As he withdrew, the only thing left of her was a taint of blood and disintegrating white linen on the ground. All around the cavern, the ruptures in the ground spewed acid-green smoke like incense at a festival, celebrating the end of the Delphic Oracle.


End file.
